Tuesday, April 29, 2014

April favorites

It's almost the end of the month so I decided to share some of my mommy and baby favorites!

My April favorites.

Frozen DVD - I know this movie came out a while ago but I just saw it for the first time this month. I'm sure you know from my other post that I loved it, it is very high up on my favorite Disney movies list. I've already watched it three times.

Turquoise Skull bracelet - I actually got this from one of the ladies in the buy, sell, trade group. She got it in a subscription box (not sure which one) and said skulls weren't her thing so I said "I'll buy it!" Everyone knows I love skulls and the color is so pretty. I only wore it once so far but I plan on wearing it a lot this summer.

If I Stay book - Such a great book, an easy read but I enjoyed it. I was a bit disappointed with the ending until I learned that there was a sequel. I went out and bought it (Where She Went) and can't wait to start it.

EOS Strawberry Sorbet
lip balm - I love this! I've been wanting to get this one forever and I finally did. It smells so good! I've been using it a little too much I think.

 Liv's (and mine too) April favorites.

If I Were A Cat book - We both love this book since we both love cats, especially Olivia. She only has a few books that have real pictures instead of illustrations and this is one of them. I have read this book to her every night since we got it a few weeks ago. I saw it at the bookstore clearance section and I had to get it. By the way, the cat on the cover totally looks like our cat Peyton.

Bumkins super bib - This has been so much better than the drool bibs I've been using for feeding. It doesn't soak trough and it's really easy to clean. I've been using it every time I feed her, I need to invest in a few more. This was an add on item in her Citrus Lane box.

Green Toys pink car - This came in Liv's Citrus Lane box and I just love it. Olivia has been pushing it around and it's easy for her to carry since it's so light.

Peek a Boo Panda toy
- I really didn't think she would be interested in this toy. It came in her Bluum box and it's for 9+ months. It doesn't do anything but she loves it, don't ask me why, I couldn't tell you. She opens and closes the arms over and over while smiling. Sometimes I do it for her and I say "peek a boo!" when I open his arms and she gets so excited.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Teething never ends

Okay, I'm exaggerating but it seems that way. It's been going on for almost a year now and I'm over it (I'm sure Olivia is too). It seems like a new tooth is popping up every week and it's so frustrating because she starts eating great but once a tooth pokes through, she loses all interest. It's been a few days and she hasn't been eating much, she's been extra drooly and grouchy. She also wakes up a lot at night when she's teething and then neither of us get any sleep. I cannot wait until all her teeth are in and she has some relief. Poor kid. On a good note, she learned a new word.. cat. She's been walking around the house saying "cat cat cat", it's funny that she always says it three times because we have three cats. She loves the cats but she's a little rough with them so they aren't too fond of her. Hopefully they will warm up to her once she learns to play "nice" which I've been trying to teach her. 

Left: Little miss mischievous changed my camera settings to some kind of filter and I didn't realize until after I took the picture, smh. Right: This picture pretty much sums up her relationship with Rooney: she chases him, he runs away and she gets a fluffy tail to the face.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Color Me Rad 5K

Yesterday I did the Color Me Rad 5K with a few of my friends, it was so much fun! I was actually a little nervous because I didn't really know what to except, I never ran a 5K before. When we got there it was freezing and raining, I was so cold that my hands started to go numb. The rain let up and once we started moving, I was fine. Before the race started, there was a stage and music was playing. Everyone was jumping around and throwing color bombs everywhere, we were in a cloud of smoke; it was all different colors and it looked really cool. The race was a lot easier than I thought it would be, most people were walking. It definitely wasn't a race for serious runners, just for fun. After the race, we went back to the stage that had the music and got some color bombs and threw them around for a while. By the time we left, we were covered in color and I was starting to get cold again. I took a shower when I got home but I still have some blue color on my arm, good thing I don't have to be anywhere important in the next few days. I'm really glad I did it, it was definitely a new and fun experience!

 


Friday, April 25, 2014

All too familiar

So the other day I saw a preview for a movie that looked interesting, it's called "If I Stay". Someone had posted about the book so I decided to buy it. I always like reading the book before watching the movie, although I always end up complaining about how the movie can't compare and how much better the book is. I'll probably still go see the movie even though I know it wont be as good. Anyway, I just started reading the book a few hours ago and I'm almost done with it. I would have already been done but I can't read while Olivia is awake, she just harasses me. It's an easy read and I haven't been able to put it down. The book is about a young girl who gets into a car accident with her whole family and she is the only one who survives. She is pretty much in a coma and outside of her body, kind of in limbo watching herself as the doctors try to save her. She gets to decide if she dies or wakes up. There have been several parts where I had to stop reading for a second because it reminds me so much of when Olivia was in the hospital. Reading about Pulse ox, breathing tubes and chest tubes just takes me back. There was one part where I read out loud to Paul, it was something like "the machines were constantly beeping but it was more often due to an issue with the machine rather than the patient" those aren't the exact words but I couldn't find that part again. Reading that reminded me of the beeping at the hospital and how I could never fall asleep when I was there. At first all the beeps and alarms were so scary but once I learned what they were, I didn't freak out every time they went off. Three weeks in the hospital with Olivia and I learned a good amount of medical terminology. I payed close attention to everything the doctors and nurses said. I wanted to grasp what was really going on without them having to tell me in layman's terms. I remember the doctor smiling at me when I asked him what her blood pressure was in her lower extremities. I think if I tried reading this book a year ago, I wouldn't have been able to. It was still too fresh in my mind, it's kind of surreal now. When I think back to then, I feel like that wasn't my life. I feel like that didn't really happen, of course I know it did but the fact that it seems decades ago actually makes me happy. I obviously don't want to dwell on it but I do occasionally have flashbacks. I think I always will, that was just a huge part of my life. As surreal as it was giving birth, learning Olivia had heart defects and needed heart surgery was even more surreal. I always end up rambling when I post late at night but I'm really enjoying this book even if it is all too familiar.


On a lighter note, I absolutely loved Frozen! *SPOILER ALERT* I thought it was so good, now I know what all the hype was about. I was so mad at myself for not buying it when I saw it for $13 last week but Paul ended up ordering it for me so I'm happy. I liked most of the songs (besides Fixer Upper), my favorite was Let It Go of course. I already knew all the words to it and to Do You Want To Build A Snowman just because of Vine. I loved the scene when Elsa sang Let It Go and she was making the ice castle, it looked so real. That song is pretty empowering! Paul made fun of me when I told him how I was amazed by that scene. I was rooting for Kristoff and I was in shock when Hans didn't kiss her and told her he didn't really love her. I probably sound like such a weirdo right now but I love Disney movies. Oh and Olaf had me laugh out loud a few times, seriously awesome. I can't wait to watch it again! I still like The Little Mermaid better of course, it's just a classic to me but I think Frozen comes in second. If you love Disney movies and you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Zombie mommy

I feel like I say this a lot but I am so beat! Olivia woke up five or six times last night and she cried for a good ten minutes almost every time. I think she has another tooth coming in because she's been extra drooly and not too excited about eating. I tried giving her eggs with cheese and she screamed at me like I was trying to poison her. It took me longer than usual to get her to bed tonight and I just fell onto the couch afterwards. I'm about to watch Frozen, everyone keeps talking about it so I finally rented it. I don't know if it can live up to The Little Mermaid though, that's my favorite Disney movie of all time. I'm keeping this short because I need to get to bed at a decent hour tonight, I will update tomorrow on how I liked the movie.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Easter 2014

Today was very busy but also very fun. This morning I gave Olivia her Easter basket and when she saw her Dora sand toys she got so excited, she loved it. She also tried peeps for the first time, hard to tell if she was a fan. She only took a few bites so I ate the rest. Then we went over to my aunt’s house, it’s always great to hang out with my family. Olivia got a ton of Easter baskets; we had dinner and then an Easter egg hunt for the kids. Olivia probably didn’t really know what was going on but she had a blast picking up eggs and banging them together. I took a ton of pictures, it was really hard to catch her smiling but I got a few great ones! It’s so crazy to think that last year on Easter, Olivia was under two months old. So much has changed in one year, the difference is amazing. Last year she slept most of the time and cried a bit, she was still eating through the tube and was only around 8lbs. This year she ate what we ate, she was feeding herself and loving it. She was walking around doing the Easter egg hunt with the big kids. Holidays are so much fun but I am super exhausted now! I also can't stop binge eating Easter candy, peeps covered in chocolate? Amazing!



 Sorry for the picture overkill but it was such a fun day! Hope everyone who celebrates had a very
HAPPY EASTER! 

Friday, April 18, 2014

Fun at the zoo

Just a quick update, on Thursday I took Olivia to the zoo for the first time. She only liked the animals that came up close, otherwise I don't think she could really see them or maybe she just didn't care. I think she is still a little young but we had a good time. It was kind of cold though, we are going back in the summer and maybe she will like it even more. We saw a tiger, monkeys, bison, otters, peacocks, prairie dogs, pigs and a bunch of other animals I can't remember. After the zoo I took her to playgroup and when we finally got home, I was completely exhausted. Anytime we do more than one activity in a day, I feel like I am so drained. I think I need to stick to one thing per day! I have no idea why I'm always so tired. Oh well, I'll leave you with a few pics..


 We look so white because the sun was ridiculously bright that day.
I think Olivia is laughing at me taking a selfie.

Bluum review - April 2014

In case you've never heard of Bluum, it's a monthly subscription box for babies/toddlers. You pay for a certain number of months and you get a box every month with 4-5 items geared towards your child's age and gender. The more months you sign up for, the cheaper it is. I found a great deal that was $40 for three months, so about $13 per box. 

 Everything we got in our April box.

Booginhead Sippi Grip: At first I wasn't too happy we got these but now I'm actually kind of excited, I think they will come in handy. They aren't just for sippy cups, you can attach it to toys too. Whenever we go out to dinner, Olivia throws her toys on the floor, now we can just attach it to this and we won't have to worry about her toys hitting the floor and getting dirty. Retails for: $8 (I couldn't find the two pack so I estimated).


Melissa & Doug Peek-a-Boo Panda: This toy is very cute but it's for 9 months+, a bit young for Liv. It doesn't really do anything but it's cute and she likes it. Retails for: $7.99


I Play Disposable Compressed Wipes: I was confused about these at first, I thought the tube was used to make the wipes wet but it's just to carry them. You add water to the tablet and it turns into a wet wipe. This will be put in the diaper bag, it's good because it doesn't take up as much room as regular wipes. They are antibacterial and hypoallergenic, always a plus. Retails for: $4.50

Klorane Dry Shampoo: I don't think I'll be using this, maybe I'll try it but I don't really care for dry shampoo. It never makes my hair feel fully clean so I stick to regular shampoo. Retails for: $19.99 (WTH?!) Okay that price is a little crazy, I would never pay that much for dry shampoo, I hope this works miracles on my hair!



Tom's of Maine Toddler Training Toothpaste: We already have toothpaste for Liv and it has lasted a while but I'll probably keep this one downstairs for brushing her teeth in the morning, it might make life a little easier. I'm glad that it's fluoride free and safe to swallow because I would have tossed it otherwise. Retails for: $3.99 


The total value of this box is about $45, which well exceeds the $13 that I paid for it. This box wasn't terrible, it was okay but I just don't think it's worth it, I rather get books and age appropriate toys for her than random stuff I may not use. I wanted to test out a few boxes before picking one and I like Citrus Lane the best so I'll be sticking with that one. This was the last box for our three month subscription and I decided to cancel. I've heard some complaints from other people about still being charged after cancelling so I really hope I don't have that issue.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Citrus Lane review - April 2014

In case you've never heard of Citrus Lane, it's a monthly subscription box for babies/toddlers. You pay for a certain number of months and you get a box every month with 4-5 items geared towards your child's age and gender. The more months you sign up for, the cheaper it is. This review is for Olivia's 14 month old box and it's geared towards a girl.

 Everything that came in our April box.

Green Toys Race Car:
This is by far my favorite thing Olivia has received from Citrus Lane. I love giving her cars and trucks to play with, just because she is a girl doesn't mean she has to play with dolls. Cars/trucks are really fun and she loves pushing them around. I love the fact that it's pink, so adorable! It's a little smaller than I thought it would be but I think she will really love it. Retails for: $8.99 


Green Eats Snack Bowls:
We have gotten a lot of plates/bowls from boxes lately and Olivia doesn't use them much, she just tosses them on the floor. I think these will come in handy when she gets a bit older. I definitely wont need to buy any dishes for her. It came with four small bowls, they are very sturdy plastic and I love the yellow color. Retails for: $6.99 
  
Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Dish Soap:
Not very exciting, it's dish soap. We got some Dapple dish soap in our January box so this is just okay for me. It will get used though. Retails for: $2.99


Barefoot Books - Peek a Boo Book:
This is really cute. It's a sturdy board book and it's pretty big, it barely fit in the box. I absolutely love the illustrations and I'm glad we have another book for our bedtime routine. I will always love getting books for Olivia, I'm happy that they send a book in every box! (so far) Retails for: $14.99 


Greeting Card Offer:
This came at the perfect time, I can make a card for my mom from Olivia, great for Mother's Day!

Add on items:
I had a bunch of credits so I got a few extras this month. I got two reusable snack bags, so great because we go through plastic baggies like crazy and now I don't have to waste them. A bumkins Super bib, we go through bibs fast too. Now that Liv is self feeding, she gets so messy and this one is easy to clean, yay! Boon dive bath appliques, I wanted a new toy for the bath because she is getting bored of her old ones, I think she will like chewing on these. Mommy Loves book, I will add this book to her Easter basket, it's a small book but very cute. I paid about $6 in total for all of the add on items, pretty good deal! That's close to the original price of just the bib.


Not including the add on items, the total value of this box is $33.96, that's an estimate of course but the value exceeds what I paid for it (about $15) so I'm happy with this box. Everything will get used and I'm excited to give her the toys! If you're interested in getting a Citrus Lane subscription for your child, you can use the code SPRING20 to get your first box for only $9 or you can use my referral link for 50% off your first box - Melissa's CL referral. It's a subscription so make sure you cancel after your receive your boxes or you will be charged again.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Final weight check

Olivia has been getting weekly weight checks since she's been out of the hospital (after her surgery). At first it was because she was on the feeding tube and they wanted to make sure she was taking in enough calories. Since she has been off the tube she hasn't been gaining much, gaining but very slow so following her weight has been important. We are finally able to relax about her weight a little. The pediatrician said it's no longer necessary to weigh her so often, she's been following her own curve for a while now. It's been about a month since she was last weighed. The nurse came over today and weighed her at 17lbs, her weight last month was 16lbs 4oz so she gained about 1lb in a month which is petty good for her! That must sound so low to people with healthy kids but Liv has come a long way, she's still tiny but that's okay, she's my little peanut. I'm happy with her weight, especially since she was sick and didn't eat as well for about a week, I was worried she was going to lose a bit. The nurse discharged her and won't be coming anymore. I'm happy but at the same time I'll probably always be wondering if she's gaining/losing since I'm so used to always knowing. The nurse has been coming ever since Olivia was 5 days old, she is the one who realized something was wrong and called the ambulance for us. I am so grateful that she was here that day. She's so sweet to Olivia and we will really miss her! However, I feel like this is another step closer to "normal", kids don't usually have a nurse come weigh them every week. Next month Olivia has her 15 month check up, I'll be curious to know her weight/height at that appointment but until then I'm going to try my best not to worry about it.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Monday mishap

I went to the store with Olivia today and when I opened my car door, the wind blew and it bumped the car next to me (not hard). The guy (he was old) got out and started flipping out, screaming at me. I apologized (repeatedly) and explained that I didn't do it on purpose, it was the wind. His car was a POS by the way. He started yelling more and asking for my insurance (there was no mark or scratch on his car) then he was saying he was going to scratch up my car so at that point I started walking away because I was being threatened, I was also holding Liv and she looked like she was about to cry. The whole time I was in the store, I was nervous that he would still be there when I left. I decided to have my phone ready to call the cops just in case. Luckily when I came out he was gone (thank goodness). If Olivia wasn't with me I would have been screaming back at him but I didn't want to scare her. Seriously, it amazes me how mean people can be. I wasn't rude in the slightest, I was very apologetic, he was just an a**hole! I had to have a glass of wine when I got home to calm down. Seriously though, if someone does something by accident and sincerely apologizes, give them a break.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Easter bunny & chocolate cravings

Today I woke up exhausted but I took a short nap with Liv and then I felt much better. My mom stopped by to hang out for a little while and I lost my phone (as always) but we kept calling it over and over, we could hear it vibrate but couldn't find it, at one point I just said "okay, it's gone forever". Somehow it got stuck in between the couch (not the cushions, the actual couch) no idea how that happened but very glad I found it. When Paul got home from work, we took Olivia to the mall to get a picture of her with the Easter bunny. I was really nervous when I took her to see Santa but she was happy and even smiled for the picture so this time I was pretty confident that she would do well and she did! Here's your cuteness for the day.


I was clapping and Paul was doing a little dance behind the camera but hey it worked. People were probably laughing at us but I wasn't paying attention. There were a few where she was looking at the camera but her smile wasn't as big as this one so that's why we picked it. After that we went to a few stores and I got some cheap pink sunglasses for Color Me Rad (5K color run) because it's coming up in a few weeks. I decided I'm going to run the race blind. If I wear my contacts, the color powder might get behind one and then it's going to be pretty painful. I can't really wear my glasses under my sunglasses because it looks ridiculous, plus I don't want my glasses to get ruined by the color. Hopefully I'll be able to finish the race, I also really need to get back on the treadmill because I've been seriously lacking. I also haven't been eating great, I made a barbecue chicken pizza for dinner tonight and oh my god, it was amazing! I usually hate cooking but today I was actually in the mood. So glad I made it and I will definitely be making it again very soon. I've been craving sweets a lot lately, today I couldn't stop talking about chocolate covered strawberries (thanks to whoever posted that on FB by the way) I looked around the mall to see if anyone sold them but they didn't, I wouldn't shut up about them so Paul suggested going to the grocery store and I gladly agreed. I couldn't decide on white chocolate or milk chocolate so I got both. Let me just say that the picture I'm about the post is amazing, they came out perfect and I'm pretty proud of myself.

 If you don't think these look absolutely delicious, you're lying to yourself.

I'm glad I finally got to have my strawberries, there is nothing better than fulfilling a craving (okay I'm sure there is but they were so good!) Moving on.. I feel like there is so much stuff I need to do in the upcoming months, we have tons of  play dates, birthday parties, a few weddings, a 5K & 3K, Easter.. yikes! Usually our summers are pretty relaxed but this one is packed with stuff to do. I also want to baby proof the house at some point. I wasn't planning on doing it yet because I watch Olivia pretty closely but shes had a few bumps already and I think it's time. She's really into opening cabinets and drawers now, she throws all my measuring cups onto the floor and sometimes hides toys in the drawers. She also has a weird obsessed with the whisk, she likes to just carry it around everywhere and occasionally chew on it. Baby proofing might also benefit me, I bump into everything and I'm always all bruised up. The only things we have right now are gates and rubber bumpers for the corners of our tables, we have a lot more to get, I feel like it will be an all day event. This is going to sound so lazy but I really love when we have nothing to do. Yesterday was one of those days and it was so great just hanging around the house with Liv, it was nice spending time with her knowing that we didn't have to be anywhere, it made me feel relaxed. I feel like we are always running places so having a break sometimes is awesome. Everyone else is sleeping and of course I'm still awake but those strawberries are calling my name.. hope they can last until tomorrow at least!

Friday, April 11, 2014

e.l.f Beauty Bundle review - April 2014

I heard about this bundle a while ago but like I said in a previous post, I don't wear much makeup. Last week I was talking about it with my mom and she said my makeup was old and needed to be thrown away (I never run out because I don't use it much). She was right, it was a few years old (really bad, I know) but I told her about the makeup bundle I wanted and how I couldn't afford it right now so her and my dad bought it for me (so sweet and I'm very thankful!) There are a few different options, you can order a monthly subscription, you get a box every month, pay every month and you can cancel anytime. Then there is a 1 year gift or 1/2 year gift, I ordered the 1/2 year gift package, you get three boxes (every other month) and you don't have to subscribe for a monthly box so you also don't get charged again because you pay up front for all three boxes. The box came only a few days after ordering, I was surprised. When I opened the box I saw a cute makeup bag, I already loved it. I started taking things out and I was shocked at all the products I got! Pretty much everything I needed (and didn't need).

Here is everything I got. By the way, thanks for the compliment e.l.f ;)
This months bundle was called "Naturally Beautiful".

6-Piece Geometric Eye Shadow Palette: When I say I only wear makeup sometimes, I really do mean sometimes and I don't even mean makeup, I mean eye makeup. This was definitely at the top of my list for favorite item in the box. I love the colors, there are browns, tans & golds. Perfect for me. Retails for: $3

Eyeshadow Primer: Honestly, I have never used an eyeshadow primer before, not sure if I'll be keeping this or not but maybe it's worth a try. How necessary is eyeshadow primer? Retails for: $3

Mineral Eye Liner: Another product I use all the time, so glad this is black because that's the only color eye liner I've ever used and ever will use. A definite keeper. Retails for: $3

Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara: Again, something I've never used. I had to read the box to see when I should even put it on, apparently it goes on after mascara and on your eyebrows to shape them. Excited to try this and see if it makes any difference. Retails for: $1

Natural Volumizing Mascara: Mascara is something I use all the time, I read the other day that you're supposed to throw away your mascara after three months.. THREE MONTHS?! oops.. (two years later) No wonder my contacts are always ruined after I wear it. I just threw my old one away and I'm glad this one is black too because that's all I wear as far as mascara goes. Retails for: $5

Mineral Lipstick: Eh.. probably my least favorite thing, I hate wearing lipstick. Honestly, I just don't like it. I like to eat/drink a lot and it just never stays on or it gets smudged and then I look ridiculous. I'm sure you're all laughing at me at this point but that's okay. Another reason, I always wear my hair down and then my lips become a magnet for my hair... uhm so anyway, interesting color (natural nymph) but I'm not sure if I'll keep it, I probably should. Retails for: $5

Mineral Infused face primer: I can honestly say that I've only worn primer and foundation twice, the first time was for my sisters wedding and the second time was for my own wedding. That's only because I paid a professional to do my makeup. I don't think I'll be using this but.. maybe. Retails for: $6

Eye Shadow Brush: I usually just put on eyeshadow with my finger but maybe this will work better, I'll give it a try! Retails for: $1

Lotion Wipes: I LOVE THESE! They smell so good, they are cucumber & melon scented which is pretty much my favorite. I never used to use makeup removing wipes, I would just use face wash but I like using both now and these are awesome because they smell so good and make my face feel clean & fresh. Retails for: $3

22-Piece Mini on the go Palette: This item is my absolute favorite! Look at all the cool compartments it has, I'm amazed that they fit all this stuff in this little box. It has an eye shadow palette with a mini eye shadow brush, lip gloss palette with a mini lip gloss brush, a blush palette with a blush brush and a mini mascara. I never usually bring makeup with me when I go out but now I can bring this cause it's nice and compact, there is also a little mirror. Retails for: $10


That was probably painful for makeup lovers to read. Sorry! Maybe having all this new stuff will inspire me to wear more makeup, then again.. who's going to see me? Olivia? I have a feeling that she couldn't care less. It also came with a makeup bag that has a drawstring but I'm not sure what the retail value for that is. The box exceeded what I (well.. my parents) paid for it. The total retail value of the box came out to $40 and it cost about $26 per box, including shipping which was not free. You can also find e.l.f products at Target and everything is pretty inexpensive so if I really love something, I can just pick it up there. Interested to see what the next two boxes are like. I'm thinking one box is probably enough to last me a whole year so there may be some giveaways coming up soon, stay tuned!

Sharing germs

I'm finally starting to feel better (whew!) but poor little Olivia caught my cold. I knew it was inevitable, we are together all day and I may or may not have coughed in her face by accident (okay I did). Don't worry, she got me back today by rubbing her runny nose all over my shirt and hair, more than once. Despite being sick, she was pretty good today (minus a few meltdowns but being sick sucks). We went to my sisters for dinner and the kids played outside, it was such a beautiful day! Not too hot or cold and there was a nice breeze. My nephews were taking turns pushing Olivia around in a fire truck they have. It was really sweet and I was glad because I was feeling a bit lazy per usual. Liv's been walking a lot, she barely crawls anymore. She is still a bit wobbly but she always catches herself when she falls and then she gets right back up, she's determined. I'm proud of her, every new milestone is so exciting, it makes me want to cry at the same time though. I always think about how far she has come, she's doing so great. I just realized it was Thursday as I was typing this. I still get excited for the weekend even though I don't have a job right now but it's just because that means Paul will be home! Yay weekend!

 Left: Connor pushing Liv around in the fire truck & he is wearing his dinosaur costume of course! Right: Jacob & Olivia playing inside. 

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Julep review

I got an e-mail a few weeks ago about Julep and it said I could get my first box for free. Free? I'll take it! Julep is a monthly subscription box for nail polish and other beauty products. It's $20 a month but I got the first box for the price of shipping ($4.99) I took a style quiz and they said I was an "It girl" but I didn't like the colors for that box so I switched to "Boho Glam" and this is what I ended up with..


Michelle-Boho Glam: Midnight, inky blue nail polish, Stevie-Boho Glam: Concrete gray frost nail polish, Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum, a few coupons and a few nail buffers (I think?)

Ignore my terrible paint job, I did it in about five minutes.

I really love the nail polish colors, they are not as dark as they look in the first picture. They also went on pretty smooth, it only took one coat for the blue and two for the gray. The nail polish retails for around $14, a bit high in my opinion but it's a good quality product. The cuticle serum retails for $28, I will definitely be trying it but would have never paid that much, this box definitely exceeds the $20 a month people pay for it. I just cant justify spending $20 a month on nail polish so I ended up cancelling my subscription. I don't really wear nail polish that often or makeup for that matter, I guess I'm just not girly enough for this box to be worth the money. I know a lot of people who love it though! I'm pretty sure you can still get your first box for free, just use the code "FREEBOX" when checking out and don't forget to cancel if you don't want to be charged again.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Aquarium adventures

Today Paul had the day off from work so we took Olivia to the aquarium, she did pretty good but started getting antsy at the end. I think she was tired/hungry but it was a fun day! Her favorite animals were the seals and meerkats, she got excited when they came up to the glass, it was cute. Before we left, we stopped at the gift shop and they had the cutest little stuffed animal otter (my favorite) it was so darn adorable! I had to get it for her and she loved it, she wouldn't stop hugging it and chewing on it's tail. On the drive home me and Liv both took a little nap. I really needed one, I've had a cold all weekend and it's been such a pain, I just feel ..blah. I really hope I feel better tomorrow because I won't have any help with Liv, it's not easy taking care of a baby when you're sick. Pretty exhausted so I'm going to bed now but here's a few pictures from today.


Meerkats, otters, sharks & her new little stuffed animal friend. By the way, you can definitely tell that I'm sick in the picture but.. oh well.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Vollie Austin Toffee review & giveaway

I was so excited about getting this! (Yes, excited about toffee) Anyone who knows me, knows I have a weakness for chocolate and candy. I love toffee! There are four different flavors to choose from, Original Recipe, Oregon Hazelnut, No Nut Vanilla Bean and Coffee Almond. I wanted to pick all four but I went with the Original Recipe. As soon as I got it, I opened it and ate a few pieces, I was pretty surprised that it wasn't sticking to my teeth (which has happened with all other toffees I've tried). After eating a few pieces, I had to stop myself or the whole tin would be gone. It came with a letter explaining how it's a family business and how every batch is handmade, I love that! Another great thing about this toffee is that there are no preservatives or additives, the ingredients are basically just chocolate, sugar, butter & almonds. I wasn't too concerned about that because it was so yummy, I probably would have eaten it anyway but it's still a plus. By the way, I recieved this yesterday and it's almost all gone, oops! Vollie Austin sent me this toffee to review, I did not receive any compensation and this is my honest opinion.


To enter the giveaway for a tin of Vollie Austin Toffee please click the entries on Rafflecopter below. The winner will get to pick the flavor they want, it will be shipped directly from Vollie Austin Toffee

Good luck and I hope you enjoy! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Baby withdrawals

We left Olivia overnight for the first time ever. Me and Paul went to a wedding in NY and it wouldn't make sense to drive two hours home at 2am. My mom stayed at our house with Olivia. I was so nervous! Obviously I trust my mom but with Olivia's lack of appetite, I wasn't sure how she would do. She's also really attached to me, I didn't know if she would cry or give my mom a hard time. Well she proved me wrong! My mom said she did so great! She didn't even cry at all, at first I was a little bummed that she didn't even miss us but I rather her be happy than sad so it's a good thing. We had a lot of fun at the wedding but we missed Liv like crazy! At least next time I won't have to worry, she handled it better than me.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

You're pregnant!?

Okay, I'm definitely not pregnant. I normally don't trick anyone on April Fools day but this morning I was going through old pictures on my phone and found one that gave me an idea. I saw a picture that I took of my pregnancy tests (from when I found out I was pregnant with Olivia) so I decided to send it to my husband today, here's his reaction..


I could have probably kept it going for a while but I decided to be nice. There is no way we are ready for another baby yet. We decided that when Olivia turns two we will start talking about it seriously but for now, my main focus will be her. After she was born, I didn't think I wanted anymore kids because of everything she went through but in the past few months that thought has left my mind. She definitely needs a sibling (but two kids is my limit!). There's a 3% chance that our next child could have a congenital heart defect as well, kind of scary to think about but as my doctor put it "that's a 97% chance that the baby will be completely healthy." If that does happen, at least we will be prepared and know what to expect. Oh, I also sent the same pregnancy test picture to my friend and her reply was "lol nice try". I guess I just caught Paul off guard. I normally fall for April Fools jokes because I never remember that it's April Fools day but this year everyone was talking about it all over social media so I was on high alert ;) Although Olivia played a nice little prank on me today and decided to hate all the food that she normally loves. We went to lunch with my mom this afternoon and that's the only meal that she ate okay, the rest of the day she just didn't want anything. Funny Olivia, jokes over tomorrow!